Relationships
by Tia-Chan18
Summary: Relationships are never easy. The key to a healthy relationship is to be honest and to not blame the other for your faults. IchiHime.


_**This is AU. No shinigamis or hollows. It's kinda based on a situation that I'm kind of going through at the moment with my best friend.  
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><p><em><em>The rain wouldn't let up.

It's been raining for the past few days. Occasionally the rain would die down. But after a few hours, it would pick up again. The clouds would always get darker, never showing a sign of becoming white. They were so dark, they were almost black.

Like the hole in his heart.

He stared out the window, not really thinking but not really feeling either. Because he didn't want to admit to himself that he was in pain. He never wanted to feel the pain, to see the hurt on her face when they got into the terrible fight. They had broken up, him and Rukia. And as much as it had pained him to do so, he knew that it was the right thing to do.

Because _she_ had showed him that it was the right thing to do.

Orihime Inoue.

**His** best friend.

She was the one who had guided him down the right path that he needed to walk on. He was so caught up in his girlfriend to even notice her warnings or hear her words. And he had felt like such a fool. For he shouldn't have treated her that way. She was only trying to warn him not to get into the relationship too quickly. To take things slow.

He was the only one to blame.

But instead, he took it out on her. She never trusted Rukia. And it wasn't just because she didn't know her. It was because she always had the ability to know when someone wasn't to be trusted. And she had warned him that she never liked him.

He had lashed out and blamed her for being jealous.

The hurt on her face was only there for a second, but that one second was all that he needed to know that he had foolishly sabotaged their friendship.

**~Flashback~**

_"You're right. I __**AM **__jealous. She doesn't deserve someone as wonderful as you. She doesn't even know you like I do! You've only been dating her for a few weeks! And yet you're acting as though you two have been best friends for life! She only came into our lives this year! Why should she be able to date my best friend? And what gives her the right to take all of your time?"_

_"She's my girlfriend! I care for her deeply and would do anything for her! Why are you judging her when you don't even know her?"_

_"I don't trust her Ichigo! She's too suspicious and she acts all high and mighty because she's from the Kuchiki family! She thinks that she can waltz into our lives and talk to us as though we've been friends since we were kids! You're so blinded by her to realize that she's tearing our friendship apart!"_

_"She's not doing anything! She's my girlfriend, Orihime, so I'm going to want to spend more time with her! Why is that such a big deal?"_

_"Because you've **changed**! You're not the same Ichigo I've known since we were kids! You don't realize that she's changed you! Tatsuki-chan doesn't even talk to you anymore because she can't stand her! Uryu-kun and Sado-kun feel the same way! All of us don't trust her. She's just going to hurt you Ichigo!"_

_"Enough!" He yelled as he walked away. He didn't like the accusations that she was shooting at Rukia._

_"Who are you... Ichigo?" _

_He stopped in his tracks. Tears had fallen from her eyes at this point as her whole body shook with grief. When he turned around that day, it was like a knife had cut through his heart. He hated seeing her cry. He even hated it when she was crying over the phone. Tears didn't suit her at all._

_"What happened to you? You promised me that you'd always be there. No matter what time of day it was or what you were doing. You **PROMISED** that you'd help me with anything I asked of you. You told me that **NOTHING** would change. Even when you first started dating Rukia, you told me that everything was going to be alright and that I can count on you to be there. But for the past few weeks, I haven't been able to talk with you. I haven't been able to see you! We always used to do everything together. And now that Rukia's in the picture, everything's changed. I haven't been able to call you or even text you without her being around. You never answer back or if you do, it's to say that you're busy. Your father tells me that he's told you to phone me back, but you never do. You promise to call me later and you don't. I wait up for hours, when I have other things to do, because I want to talk with you. And now, I feel that you're not even there anymore."_

_"Orihime... I am here! I haven't changed at all. It may seem that way because I'm always doing stuff. And it's true that Rukia does spend more time with me than everyone else. But it's because I'm trying to make this relationship work. She doesn't know many people and it's been hard on her. I'm only trying to show her that there is someone that does care about her so she's not alone."_

_"And so, you're ignoring your best friend to make someone else feel loved? What about the millions of other people who are lonely in the world? I don't see you trying to cheer them up! You don't understand Ichigo! I **miss** you! We haven't done anything together in three weeks! And I feel that you're ignoring me and that you don't even care about me!"_

_"You know that's not true. I **DO** care about you! I care about you more than I care about Rukia!"_

_"Then start showing it!" she yelled._

_The silence was deafening. Nothing could break the tension that hung in the air. Both felt they were backed into a corner. And they had no way out, not without someone being hurt._

_"Until you can figure out your feelings, I won't be talking to you. I can't handle the pain anymore Ichigo. I want you in my life, but I can't handle being ignored or being on the sidelines. Your life's a mess right now. And your priorities aren't clear. So until you figure them out, I'll make it easier for you and not talk to you."_

_**~End Flashback~**  
><em>

She was true to her word. At school, she wouldn't talk to him. She never looked his way. He never knew how much it hurt him to be ignored.

He didn't expect there to be so much pain when she walked out of his life.

But she had said so herself, she'd only stay out of his life until he knew what he wanted. She didn't want to ruin the relationship between him and Rukia. But at the same time, she was protecting herself by keeping him away. He could understand where she was coming from. He felt the same way.

He didn't want to choose between his best friend and his girlfriend. He was hoping that they'd become good friends. But he'd gotten so mad when she said point blank that they couldn't be friends. It was like she didn't even want to give her a chance. And he couldn't understand why.

At least until **that **conversation happened.

**~Flashback~**

_"I want you to stop seeing Orihime."_

_He turned to look at her, eyes wide in shock. None of his exes ever told him to stop talking with his best friend. In fact, a lot of the time, his exes wanted to meet her and hang out with her. They would even encourage him to spend time with her because they always spent time with their friends._

_"I'm not going to stop hanging out with her. She's my best friend. Why would you even ask me to do that?"_

_"I don't like how she acts around you. She acts as though **she's** your girlfriend. She has no respect for me at all. Lots of rumors have been around the school about how she hates me. I don't want a girl like that being around you."_

_"She doesn't hate you! Hell, she doesn't even know you! She's doesn't even talk to me because she doesn't want to get in the way of our relationship. Why would you even assume that there's something going on between the two of us? We're close, yes. But that's because we've known each other since we were kids."_

_"Well, based on the rumors, she doesn't like me at all. And apparently she's saying shit about me to the wrong people."_

_"Orihime would never do such a thing! And I can't even believe we are having this conversation. I'm still going to talk with her. You can't tell me who I can and can't hang out with. I don't stop you from hanging out with your friends. I expect the same respect from you! And now you're telling me that I can't talk to my best friend? I'm sorry Rukia, but if you're trying to control me, it's not working because we're done."_

_With that said, he walked out the door._

_**~End Flashback~**  
><em>

After that day, the rain had begun. It matched his mood for once. He had lost his best friend and his girlfriend. Now he wasn't sure what to do. A glimmer from the corner of his eye caught his attention. It was his blue cell phone, shining in its glory. He remembered that Orihime had a matching one but in emerald green.

That's when it hit him. He grabbed his cell phone and dialed her number.

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><p>The rain had went from being harsh to lightly misting. He was glad that it wasn't all that bad. But he still took an umbrella because he didn't like getting wet. He stood at the corner of a street, silently waiting for her to come.<p>

Footsteps echoed through the silence as time began to slow. Turning his body, a small smile formed on his face when he saw Orihime walk towards him, a pink umbrella in her hand. Her hair was hidden underneath the umbrella but he knew it was still the beautiful auburn she was born with as she never showed interest in dying it. Her hair was a shade or two darker than his, but it always intrigued him. It always reminded him of a sunset, shining brightly and sparkling so beautifully.

When she came up to him, she stopped. Not wanting to be too close to him, she kept a foot away from him. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes gave him away.

It made her heart ache.

"I'm glad you came. I wasn't sure you would because of the weather. Then I remembered how you love the rain and no type of weather would stop you from coming outside."

He could feel her eyes on him and he wasn't sure how to interpret her expression. It wasn't one of anger, but it wasn't one of happiness either.

"It seemed important. At least, I thought it was because the way you sounded on the phone... I felt that I owed you. So I came to hear you out."

He blew out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. His palms were sweaty and he could feel sweat dripping down his forehead even though it wasn't hot out. Now that she was here, he wasn't sure what to say. Or how to say it.

"I'm sorry. I know that you didn't come out here, to meet me, only to hear me say those words, but they were the first things I wanted to say. I'm sorry that I never trusted you and that I hurt you. I really should've known that Rukia wasn't the person I thought she was. And I'm not only saying this to make you be friends with me again. I didn't believe you, and I didn't trust you, even though I've known you longer than I knew her. I was an idiot to think that I knew what I was getting myself into. I didn't think things through and I jumped into the relationship when you told me not to... I even broke our promise. And I know that it's not going to be easy, but I want us to be friends again. I'll do everything I can to mend it. I just don't want to lose you from my life."

"I'm sorry too."

His eyes widened in shock. "Why are you sorry?"

She turned her gaze to the ground. "I got mad at you for not being with me. It's not like we were dating. But I missed having you around. I was so used to us hanging out and talking everyday that I didn't think that you would want a girlfriend. I never even got to know Rukia. I only judged her based on her actions and her last name. It was completely unfair of me to always depend on you when I have Tatsuki-chan, Uryu-kun and Sado-kun as well. I assumed that you would always be there for me and I got mad at you when you weren't there. And I cut off our friendship because I only wanted to protect myself. I thought that I could prove to myself that I don't need to rely on you all the time. And I selfishly put myself first and broke off our friendship because you weren't there."

Her gaze went back to him. "I shouldn't have taken advantage of you. And for that, I'm sorry."

He chuckled, which caused her to look at him in confusion. "You idiot..."

Pulling on her arm, he brought her to his chest in a hug. "I promised you that you could depend on me because I **want** to be there for you. You never took advantage of me at all. If anything, you helped me solve my own problems. Don't blame yourself for me breaking up with Rukia. I chose to on my own. And don't you even think that I'll get mad at you for depending on me when I **TOLD** you myself that you could."

She nodded as she returned the hug. She knew that their problems weren't solved just like that. But she knew that their friendship was going to be fine. As long as they had each other.

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><p><em><strong>AN: I don't want anyone getting mad that I used Rukia. I don't hate the girl. And I didn't really want to use Senna because this story's more personal to me and I wanted to use the three main characters. This story is based off how I'm feeling towards my best friend (who yes, is a guy). There's been some misunderstandings between us and I thought that it would make a good story for IchiHime. And I thought that Rukia would be better suited for it (even if she seemed OOC)**_

_**I mean, my best friend is dating a girl. And I don't really trust her but that's cause I haven't met her yet... and I feel that my friend is changing because of her since we haven't talked in almost a week. But he never broke up with her and I'm not expecting him to. I just want to tell him how I feel about him not talking with me. And he even promised to always be there for me. (So that's where that idea came from.)**_

_**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this one-shot!**_


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